Try a paracetamol-based medicine, like CALPOL® Infant Suspension. It is suitable for most babies from 2 months.
Are they 6 years or older? To help take the pain away, you could go for a paracetamol-based medicine for older children, like CALPOL® SIXPLUS™ Suspension.

Handy tip

For mild earache, you can try gently placing a warm flannel over the affected ear (it may soothe them if you whisper a few gentle words in it too!).

Some more simple tips

Avoid getting the affected ear wet if the earache is caused by an ear infection

Make sure you don’t put cotton buds into your little one’s ear as the ear canal is very delicate.

If your little one’s eardrums burst, make sure you do not use eardrops or olive oil drops. The pharmacist may be able to recommend over-the-counter eardrops for earache.

How long will it last?

Most earaches will clear up one their own once the underlying cause goes away. How long it lasts can depend on the cause.
Most common causes of earache are:

Ear infection

Damage to the inside of the ear (by a cotton bud for example)

A build up of ear wax

Throat infection

Glue ear - a build of fluid inside the ear.

When to call the doctor

Ear infections are very common and they’ll generally clear up without any trouble. But you should get in touch with your GP if:

they have symptoms such as a fever, vomiting, a severe sore throat, swelling around the ear or discharge from the ear

the earache doesnt improve within a few days

they have something stuck in their ear

the information on this page is not exhaustive. You know your child best, if you have any concerns about your child, you should contact your GP.

Do not use more than one product containing paracetamol at the same time.

CALPOL® Infant Suspension contains Paracetamol, can be used in infants from 2 months old (weighing over 4kg and not premature). CALPOL® SIXPLUS™ Suspension and CALPOL® SIXPLUS™ Fastmelts contain Paracetamol, can be used in children from 6 years old. CALPOL® is a registered trademark. SIXPLUS™ is a trademark.

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